Splice head for electric cables



Oct. 29, 1929. A. c. RUMBLE SPLICE HEAD FOR ELECTRIC CABLES Filed April 1].. 192 7 llllflllllllrlll IIIIlI/III Patented Oct. 29, 1 929 ALEX C. RUMBLE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SPLICE HEAD FOR ELECTRIC CABLES Application filed April 11,

My invention relates to an improved splice head for electric cables of the particular type that is disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent N 0. 1,647,251, issued to me November 1, 1927, the

5 principal object of my present invention being to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the splice head set forth in my aforesaid application, as well as other existing forms of similar devices.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a relatively simple, practical and easily assembled device for splicing electric cables and which splicing device is primarily designed to eliminate much of the time, labor and consequent expense that is involved in soldering and wiping lead joints, and which practice has heretofore been extensively employed in splicing and connecting the adjacent ends of electric cables.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a splice head of the character referred to that is inexpensive of manufacture, capable of being easily and quickly assembled or taken apart, and which head is effective in very thoroughly insulating the connected portions of the cables.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken lengthwise through the center of an electric cable splice head embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken 1927. Serial No. 182,753.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates a hollow shell or housing, preferably formed of non-corrodible metal such as copper, the lower end of said shell being closed by an integrally formed plate 11 and the upper end being closed by a detachable cap 12, preferably of non-corrodible metal.

The housing 10, is preferably oval in horizontal section and formed integral with the sides of said housing adjacent to its upper end are outwardly projecting ears 13 that are perforated in order to receive fastening devices such as bolts or screws 14, and which latter pass through ears 15 that project out- Wardly from the sides of the cap 12.

Removably positioned within the upper portion of the shell or housing 10, is a sleeve 16 of suitable insulating material such as porcelain or glass, and this sleeve lies immediately adjacent to the upper portion of the wall of the shell or housing. Insulating sleeve 16 is properly supported within the shell or housing 10 by lugs 17 that are formed integral with and project inwardly from the lower portions of the side walls of said shell or housing.

Formed integral with and depending from the bottom plate 11 of the housing, is a pair of short tubular members 18, the upper portions of which are externally threaded and the lower portions gradually tapering or decreasing in size toward their lower ends. The lower portions of these members are provided with longitudinally disposed slots 19.

Screw-seated on each tubular member, is the upper portion of a tubular nut 20, the lower portion thereof being internally tapered so as to bear against the tapered lower end of tubular member 18. The arrangement just described provides simple and ellicient means for very securely clamping the cable C that passes through the tubular member 18, for when nut 20 is tightened on said tubular memher, the internal tapered face at the lower end of said tubular nut bears against the tapered lower portion of tubular member 18 and, as the lower portion of the latter is slotted, it will be forced inwardly into clamping engagement with the cable.

The ends of the cable C within the housing 10 are cut away so as to expose the conductors C and said exposed ends are extended into longitudinally disposed recesses 21 that are formed through the center of a socket member 22. This socket member is provided at its lower end with a head 23 having externally arranged wrench faces and the upper portion of said socket member being externally threaded and provided with a longitudinally disposed slot 2% that communicates with the recesses 21. The threaded portion of this socket member receives a nut 25, which, when tightened, forces the parts of the socket member to the sides of slot 24 toward each other, thereby very firmly clamping the engaged ends of the conductors C and retaining the same in direct physical contact with each other.

After the exposed ends of the conductor have been Very firmly secured in the socket member and its cap, the entire space within the shell or housing is filled with a suitable insulating compound, for instance parallin wax or the like, and after the cap 12 has been secured on top of the shell, the splicing operation is complete.

Inasmuch as the lead sheathing of the cables C is in direct contact with the tubular members 18 which are a part of the shell or housing, it is not necessary to utilize extraneous means for short-circuiting the sheathes of the two cables.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an electric cable splice head that is relatively simple in construction, capable of being easily and cheaply produced and which, in addition to providing a very positive connection be tween the cables, thoroughly insulates the metal portions of the head from the conductors.

Heretofore it has been the general practice to splice electric cables by means of a wiped lead joint and which practice involves considerable time, labor and expense. My improved splice head is capable of bein readily applied to the ends of cables and, if ordinary care is exercised when the head is removed from the joint or splice, said head may be reused, thus providing an economical advantage.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and. construction of the various parts of my improved splice head may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a splice head for electric cables, a housing provided in its lower portion with openings adapted to receive a pair of cables, outwardly projecting split tubular members formed on said housing around said openings, tubular nuts applied to said tubular extensions for clamping the same onto the cables that enter the housing, lugs projecting inwardly from the lower portions of the side walls of the housing, and a sleeve of insulating material supported within the housing by said lugs and surrounding the ends of the cables that enter said housing.

2. In a splice head for electric cables, a housing provided with a pair of cable receiving openings, tubular members formed on the housing around said openings, said tubular members being externally threaded and provided with longitudinally disposed slots, tubular nuts screw-seated on said tubular members for clamping the same onto the cables that enter the housing through the openings therein, lugs projecting inwardly from the lower portions of the side walls of the housing, and a sleeve of insulating ma terial supported within the housing by said lugs and surrounding the ends of the cables that enter said housing.

In a splice head for electric cables, a metal housing provided with openings for the reception of a pair of cables, means within the housing for electrically connecting the ent s of the conductors within the cables that enter said housing, a sleeve of insulating material disposed within the housing and encircling the conductor connecting means and lugs projecting inwardly from the lower portions of the side walls of the housing for supporting said sleeve of insulating material.

a. in a splice head for electric cables, a housing provided with openings for the reception of a pair of cables, means on the housing for clamping the cables that pass through said openings, means within the housing for clamping and holding in direct physical contact the exposed ends of the conductors that are carried by the cables that enter said housing, a sleeve of insulating material arranged within the housing and surrounding the conductor clamping means, and lugs projecting inwardly from the lower portions of the side walls of the housing for supporting said sleeve of insulating material in position to surround said conductor clamping means 5. In a splice head for electric cables, a housing provided with openings for the reception of a pair of cables, means on the housing for clamping the cables that pass through said openings, means within the housing for clamping and holding in direct physical contact the exposed ends of the conductors that are carried by, the cables that enter said housing, a sleeve of insulating ma terial arranged within the housing and surrounding the conductor clamping means, lugs projecting inwardly from the lower portions of the side walls of the housing for supporting said sleeve of insulating material in position to surround said conductor clamping means, and a body of insulating material Within said housing and wholly filling the chamber therein.

6. In a splice head for electric cables, a housing provided with opening for the reception of a pair of cables, means on the housing for clamping the cables that pass through said openings, means within the housing for clamping and holding in direct physical contact the exposed ends of the conductors that are carried by the cables that enter said housing, a sleeve of insulating material arranged within the housing and surrounding the conductor clamping means, lugs pro'ecting inwardly from the lower portions 0 the side walls of the housing for supporting said sleeve of insulating material in position to surround said conductor clamping means, a body of insulating material within said housing and wholly filling the chamber therein and a cap removably applied to the upper end of said housing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALEX G. RUMBLE. 

